Can-joint making and apparatus



July 16, 1929. w. E. BURNS 1.720.663

CAN JOINT MAKING AND APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2'7, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TOR. 6' Bur/1.3

BY MW A TTORNEYS.

July 16, 1929. w, BURNS v 1.720.663

CAN JOINT XAKING AND APPARATUS Filed Jan. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Shoot 2 IN VEN TOR.

MZ/v'm/ 5007.! M #6 7 ATTORNEYS.

July 16, 1929. w, BURNS CAN JOINT MAKING AND APPARATUS Filed Jan. 27,1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR M leaf/1.3 BY ATTORNEYS.

y 1929. w. E. BURNS 1.720.663

CAN JOINT IAKING AND APPARATUS 7 Filed Jan. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

INVENTOR. ra 6. am BY flhiwl/flw ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFORD E. BURNS, 0F BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO M. B. CO., OFSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CAN-JOINT MAKING AND APPARATUS.

Application filed January 27, 1928. Serial No. 250,031.

This invention relates to the manufacture of tin cans and has for itsobjects improvements in the steps of making such cans whereby abettcrbody joint is secured.

The method was evolved toimprove the joint on a certain type of roundcan, i. e. a can in which the longitudinal body joint or seam. was notall of the lock type from end to end of the can, but consisted of atleast in portion adjacent an end of the can of a lap seam.

Several examples of such cans are extant, some of which leave a plainlap seam from end to end, but more frequently cans are seen which have alock seam on the body from the bottom up to a. given point and fromwhich point up a plain lap seam is used so as to make it possible to usea scored tearing strip around the upper end of the can.

The latter type of can is shown in my Patent #1,(}l5,930 of February 1,1927, as well as in the patent to Young #1,:382,956 of May 4, 1926.

p In this type of can a difficulty is found in soldering the body seamafter forming the can body, for on account of the upper end of the seamnot being a lock scam the metal layers do not lie tightly together butthey open up in passing over the hot solderiug roll with a result thatthe seam is faulty at this point, contains a large amount of solderwhich interferes with flanging and double seaming of the heads, andcauses leaks and other trouble.

In the Young patent referred to a means of overcoming the difficulty isdisclosed and which consists of electric spot welding together of theplain lap portions of the seam so they would be retained in contact.

The present invention discloses a means of overcoming the aforesaiddifficulty by pure mechanical means, thus dispensing with electricwelding.

Briefly described the method consists in performing certain bendingoperations on the tubular can body after it has been formed on thecommon can body machine and just before it passes along the solderinghorn for soldering of the body seam.

The operations which I believe to be new comprise forn'ring two shortflanges on the end of the tubular body, one at each side of the bodyseam, before soldering the seam, spacer? rt for clearance of the.soldering roll, and also preferably distorting the normal curve of thebody at one'or both sides of the seam so that the plain lap portion ofthe seam adjacent the end of the can will be tightly closed beforesoldering and so remam during passage along the soldering horn.

Since this specification is addressed to those skilled in the art itmust be assumed that all the details of tin can manufacture andautomatic operations of the body machine as carried out on round cans,and soldering the bodies before flanging and double seaming of the headsis thoroughly understood, and consequently in an attempt to condense thecase as much as possible none of the common features of such machineswill be shown or described herein. However, in the common method ofmakmg round tin cans the blanks advancing by intermittent motion throughthe body machine are finally bent around the forming horn and the lockseam closed by bumping, and after Which the tubular bodies pass directlyon the soldering horn.

The additional steps which form the subject matter of the presentinvention take place between the end of the forming horn and thesoldering horn, and the mechanism really becomes a part of the bodyforming machine as it includes an extension of the forming horn withoperating parts worked by or in unison with the body machine so as to bein proper time therewith, but the operation of the mechanism or practiceof the method is not. dependenton a specific type of body formingmachine, though ref erence is made to the patent of Troyer $51,543,460,June 23, 1925, describing such a machine in detail.

In the drawings accompanying this application Fig. 1 is an end View of acan body showing the extreme end or lap part of the body joint. as itwould appear after being formed and in accordance with present practiceready for passage along the soldering horn for soldering of its bodyseam by the soldering roll.

Fig. 2 shows the same end of the can as provided with two short flanges(step B) before passage to the soldering horn. Fig. 3 is a section ofthe can body of Fig. 2 as seen from the line thereof. 7

Fig, 1. s was the flanged and of the. can as:

per Fig. 2 further operated upon (step C) deforming it slightly at thepoints F-Gr, as also done before soldering.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of can making apparatus with the final end ofthe can'body forming machine shown at the left and the forward end ofthe soldering machine at the right, joined by a continuation of theformii'ig horn to the soldering horn equipped with operative devices tocarry out my improvements.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is anend view in section asseen from the line 7 -7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view partly in section of the extension hornon which steps B and O are carried out, and with some of the adjacentdies and mechanism indicated.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the extension horn as seen from the line 9-9ofFig. S. Fig. 10 is a section as seen from the line 1()-1O of Fig. 8and Fig. 11 is a section of Fig. 8 as seen from the line 1111 thereof.

In the drawings the can body is designated 1, the can body machine 2,forming horn of the body machineg, soldering horn 4: and my extensionhorn which joins the forming and soldering horns is generally designated5.

No details of the standardbody forming machine need be given other thanto state that it terminates in a forming horn 3 on which suitablemechanism, not shown, forms the flat blank into a round tubular body andlocks the seam by a jaw closing the same against an anvil.

The operations of the body machine are carried out on the blanks atdifferent stages along the machine the blanks are intermittentlyadvanced therealong by a reciprocating feeder such as the bar G whichworks in a groove in the can support and is actuated in time with therevolution of a shaft 7 on the body machine which operates the seamclosing jaw, or bumper.

The final body forming operation is termed herein step A and heretoforethe tubular bodies have been passed directly from the forming horn tothe soldering horn where they were carried alongby a chain conveyor 8for soldering of the body seam by contact therewith against thelongitudinally extending and revolving solder roll 9.

The soldering operation is termed herein E. jetween these well knownsteps A-E I interpose the steps of special hanging as per Fig. 2 termedstep B, then distort the same as per Fig. l termed step C, after whichan idle position is reached by the body herein called step D before thebody is passed to the soldering step E.

tep D is simply an idle step to get sutficient clearance for the machineelements involved.

My auxiliary or extension horn 5 upon which steps 13 and C are carriedout consists of a cylindrical guide bar over which the can slides andwhich is secured at one end to the forming horn 3 and-at the oppositeend to the soldering horn 4i.

The means for securing members 3 and 5 together comprises a centeringstud 10 secured to and projecting from the forming horn, a nut llthreaded on said stud provided with a circumferential groove in which ataper pin 12 driven in a hole in member 5 is seated. A key or pin as at13 is provided to prevent relative rotation of the members, and the nut11 provides for initial adjustment so that the members are tightly drawntogether upon driving the pin 12 in place.

The means for securing the opposite end of member 5 to member 4comprises a centering hub 14 on member 5 fitting a recess on member 4;and a rod 15 screwed into and projecting from the hub extending entirelythrough member fl (usually about 5 or (3 feet long) and provided with athreaded nut 15' at its outer end so that by turning the nut the memberl can be forced longitudinally against member 5. It is understood thatthe connected members 35 and t while round do not rotate, as member 3 isrigid in the body machine.

To feed the cans along my extension horn 5 I extend the usualintermittent feed bar (3 which carries pivoted and yieldingly mounted.hooks 17 to advance the eansstep by step as well understood, and whichwhen their exact distance of travel cannot be relied upon aresupplemented with stops for accurately stopping the can blanks, such astop being indicated at 18 for positioning the can at step B and whichstop is intermittently removed from the path of the can after theoperation thereon has been completed, and as any synchronously movingpart of the machine may be hooked up to operate said stop, such hookupis omitted from the drawingfor clarity sake since it involves noinvention. I

At position B member 5 is formed with a loose lower section 19 guided onheaded screws 20 and is seated against a block of resilient rubber 21,and provided with fixed beveled edged die 22. The can arrives inposition as indicated at l and a curved shoe 23 rises and engages theunder side of the can, forces it upward thereby comprcs mg he rubber 21and outwardly flanging the end of the can through overlapping of thesame en die 22. The parts are so formo-Jl that the flange is produced onboth sides of the seam as shown at 24in 2 and ex tending at an angletothe can body substantially as shown in Fig. 3.

After the Hanging oper. .on tiie shoe 23 moves away and the flanges bodyadv:

lOO

to position C on member wh'ereat a shoe rises to firmly clamp the seamof the can against member 5 while a pair of internal jaws 26-27 areforced:outwardly to deform or stretch the can slightly at the points F,G indicated in exaggerated form in F ig; 4. Fig, 11 shows the form ofjaws 26, slidably mounted in member 5 and normally held retractedthereinby springs 28 reacting against the heads of screws 29 secured tothe back of the jaws.

The jaws are also each I provided withtwo pins 30 secured to the jawsand operating freely in holes in member 5 and which pins are alwaysbelow the upper surface of mem her 5 so that the can bodies can freelyslide thereover, the pins are spaced longitudinally of member 5 tofreely accommodate a can body between them as indicated at 1" in Fig. 8.

The jaws 2627 are forced outwardly after the can body is in position 1by means of four exterior pins 31 which are aligned over pins 30 andwhich descend upon them by means to be described later.

Fig. 4 shows the forward end of the can after it has been operated on atposition C and in which figure the distortion caused by outwardmovementof jaws 2627 is re speetively indicated at F and G. The movementof jaw 26 is somewhat greater than that of jaw 27 so that the lap seamlayers 32-33 will fit and lie tightly together, as shown in Fig. 4 andin c-ontradi'stinction to the condition shown in Fig 2 wherein thelayers of metal diverge slightly though not as much as they do inFig. 1. After the distortion atpoints F and G the metal will be under astrain to preserve the seam in this condition as the can body is furtheradvanced to position D as shown at 1' and thence to the soldering horn 4for soldering over the soldering roll 9 in the well known manner.

It should be noted, that in the type of can here under considerationpart of the body seam is of the lock type as indicated at 16 inFigs. 1,2, 3 or the body otherwise held together so that it will not open up, and the I operations herein described are for the purpose of securing aproper joint and overcoming the difficulties attendant upon solderingthe extreme end' of the seam which is not of the lock type.

To operate shoe 23 and the pins 31 in syncronism with the intermittentadvancing of the can bodies from the forming horn 3 along member 5 anysuitable connections may be made with a moving part of the body machine,in the present disclosure the rc quired motion is derived from one ofthe main operating shafts of the bodymachine such as its seam bumperactuating shaft 7, a link 35 being pivoted at 36 to the bumper crank rod37 of the machine and to toggle arms 38 pivota-lly anchored at the lowerends at 39 to a bracket 40 secured to the body machine, and pivoted atthe upper ends at 41 to a vertically'movable carrier 42 slidablysupported on guide rods 43 carried on bracket 40 and an upper bracket 44secured to the body machine, the arrangement being such that upon eachrevolution of shaft 7 the toggle arms will be straightened and force thecarrier 42 upward at each positioning of the cams along member 5.

Shoes 23 and 25 are mounted on the reciprocable carrier 42 so as tooperate on the can bodies at positions B and C respectively asexplained, and are of suitable form and height for their work.

In order to reciprocate the jaw actuating pins 31, they are mounted on avertically slidable carriage 45. guided on bracket 44 and the requiredmotion is transmitted to the carriage by means of a rocker arm 46pivoted at 47 to bracket 44 linked at one end at 48 to the carriage andconnected at the other end by a universal jointed push rod 49 seated atits lower end in a crank arm 50 connected to a rock shaft 51 mounted onbracket 40 and which shaft is provided with a crank 52 pivotallyconnected by means of a link 53 to a suitable moving part such as thetoggle arms 38.

By the arrangement described there will be a relatively large motion tojaw actuating pins 31 at a time when the toggles are crossi'ng thecenter line, hence the can seam will be clamped with shoe 25substantially motionless during the outward'forcing of the jaws'26-27,it being understood that the actual motion of the jaws is very littleand allthe parts are so propm'tion'ed, and centers of links, cranks,etc, all arranged to produce the required effect.

In considering my invention as above set forth it will be seen that themechanism necessary to carry out the operations may either be built asan integral part of a can body machine, or for attachment thereto orcooperating therewith, and/or with the soldering machine.

It is to be noted that the two small flanges 24 as made onthe can endpreparatory to soldering, are after soldering extended entirely aroundthe can so as to receive the head for double seaming thereto in theusual way, and the opposite end of the can is likewise flanged anddouble seamedto a head in the usual way. The initial short flanging ofthe can adjacent the seam evens up the work of the flanging operation asit provides some of the work already done and thereby compensates forthe extra work of hanging joint.

The slight deformation of the can body at F, G isentirely obliterated inthe common body fianging and dmlb'le seaming machine the soldered lap itmay consist of devices operations which follow the soldering of the bodyseam. I

The deformation of the can as shown in Fig. i, and the gap in the lapseam shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are exaggerated somewhat so as to moreclearly show the points of importance.

I claim:

1. In the automatic manufacture of sheet metal. cans, the step betweenthe forming of the body and the soldering of the body seam whichcomprises outwardly Hanging the end of the can while preserving aportion; unflanged for clearance of the soldering roll.

2. In the automatic manufacture of sheet metal cans, the step betweenthe forming of the body and the soldering of the body seam whichcomprises outwardly flanging the end of the can at a point atone side ofthe body seam while preserving a portion unflanged for clearance oft-hesoldering roll.

3. In the automatic manufacture of sheet metalcans, the step between theforming of the body and the solderin of the body seam which comprisesoutwardly Hanging the end or the can at a point at both sides of thebody seam while preserving a portion uuflanged for clearance of thesoldering roll.

4. In the automatic manufacture of sheet metal cans, the step betweenthe forming of the body and the soldering of the body seam whichcomprises outwardlyflanging the end of the can While preserving aportion unflanged for clearance of the soldering roll, and of distortingthe normal curvature of the body so as to give the metal a tendency tourge the layers of metal together at the joint.

a 5. In the manufacture of sheet metal cans having a lap seam adjacentone end of the body, the step before soldering of the seam of deformingthe body adjacent the seam to hold said lap seam closed.

6. In the manufactiu'e of sheet metal cans having a lap seam adjacentone end of the body, the, step before soldering of the seam of deformingand body adjacent the seam closed. r

7. In the manufacture of sheet metal cans having a lap seam adjacent oneend of the body, the step which comprises flanging the end of the canoutwardly at one side of the body seam before soldering the same.

8. In the manufacture of sheet metal cans having alap seam adjacent oneend of the body, the step which comprises Hanging the end of the canoutwardly at both sides of the body seam before soldering the same.

9. In can making mechanism of the character described, a guide, meansfor advancing a tubular can body along the guide, and means operating onsaid body at a point on the guide arranged and adapted for defcrnn ingthe end of the can outwardly Hanging the seam to hold said lap djacentits body seam for promoting better contact of its metal layers.

10. In can making mechanism of the character described, a guide, meansfor advancing a tubular can body along the guide, and means operating onsaid body at a point on the guide arranged and adapted for flanging theend of the can adjacent its body seam while said seam is unsoldered.

11. In can making mechanism of the char acter described, a guide, meansfor advancing a tubular can body along the guide, and a plurality ofmeans arranged and adapted for Hanging the body end at spaced pointsadjacent the body seam and for changing the normal curve of the bodyadjacent said seam for promoting better contact of its metal layers.

12. In can making mechanism of the character described, a guide, meansfor advancing a tubular can body along the guide, and

means operating on said body at a point on the guide arranged andadapted for flanging the end of the can adjacent its body sea-mcomprising a resiliently mounted support for the inside of the can body,a die over which the end of the body projects, and a shoe arranged tocontact the outside of the body and force it against said support andretract the same thereby flanging the pro jecting end of the body, andmeans for actuating said shoe as described.

13. In can making mechanism an extension horn adapted to slidably guidea tubular can body, said horn arranged in axial extension of a can bodymachine forming-horn,

means for feeding can'bodies from said? forming horn to said extensionhorn, and means operating against said extension horn and actuated insynchronism with said can bodymachine arranged and adapted for outwardfla-nging of the end of said can body while the body seam of the can isunsoldered.

14,. In can making mechanism of the character described, a guide, meansfor advancing a tubular can body along the guide, and means operating onsaid body at a point on the guide arranged and adapted for deforming theend of the can adjacent its body sea-m for promotingbetter contact ofits metal layers comprising an outwardly movable jaw within said guideadapted to force a portion of said can outwardly, means-for actuatingsaid jaw, and means forsupporting the seam of the can during suchactuation. 1 V

15. In can making mechanism of the character described, a guide, meansfor advancing a tubular can body along the guide, and means operating onsaid body at a point on the guide arranged and adapted for deforming theend of the can adjacent its body seam for promoting better contact ofits metal layers comprising an outwardly movable jaw Within said toportion of said can outwardly, means for actuating said jaw comprising apin at each end of said jaw slidable in openings in said guide and.spaced beyond opposite ends of the can to be operated upon, and meansfor moving said pins and thereby actuating said jaw.

16. In can making mechanism of the character described, a guide, meansfor advancing'a tubular can body along the guide, and means operating onsaid body at a point on the guide arranged and adapted for deforming theend of the can adjacent its body seam for promoting better contact ofits metal layers comprising an outwardly movable jaw within said guideadapted to force a portion of said can outwardly, means for actuatingsaid jaw comprising a pin at each end of said jaw slidable in openingsin said guide and spaced beyond opposite ends of the can to be operatedupon, and means for moving said pins and thereby actuating said jawcomprising an additional pin aligned with the pin at each end of thejaw, a slidingly supported carriage in which the additional. pinsaremounted, the additional pins being normally without and clear of saidguide, and a connection between said carriage and a source of power foroperating said additional pins.

17. In can making machinery of the character described, an extensionhorn adapted for interposition between the forming horn of a bodymachine and a body seam soldering machine horn, means for feeding canbodies from said forming horn over said extension horn to said solderinghorn, and means for operating on said bodies at points along saidextension horn.-

18. In can making machinery of the character described, an extensionhorn adapted for interposition between the forming horn of a bodymachine and a body seam soldering machine horn, means for feeding canbodies from said forming horn over said extension horn to said solderinghorn, and means for operating on said bodies at points along saidextension horn, said extension horn joined to said forming horn inendwise abutting relation through means of a centering stud projectingfrom said forming horn into said extension horn, a nut 011 said studgrooved peripherally and a transversely extending pin in said extensionhorn engaging the groove of said nut.

19. In an automatic can body making machine in which the body blank isadvanced to different stages for progressive operations thereon, a stageafter the body forming operation stage and means operative on the bodyat said stage arranged and adapted for outwardly flanging the end of thebody while the body seam of the can is unsoldered.

20. In an automatic can body making machine in which the body blank isadvanced to different stages for progressive operations thereon, a stageafter the body forming operation stage and means operative on the bodyat said stage arranged and adapted for outwardly flanging the end of thebody at a point spaced to one side of the body seam.

21." In an automatic can body making machine in which the body blank isadvanced to different stages for progressive operations thereon, a stageafter the body forming o eration stage and means operative on tie bodyat said stage arranged and adapted for outwardly flanging the end of thebody at points spaced to both sides of the body seam.

22. In an automatic can body making machine in which the body blank isadvanced to different stages for progressive operations thereon, a stageafter the body forming o eration stage and means operative on t e bodyat said stage arranged andadapted for outwardly flanging the end of thebody and a further stage thereon provided with means arranged andadapted for deforming the curvature of the body adjacent the seamthereof for holding the layers of the seam together preparatory tosoldering.

WVILFORD E. BURNS.

